Prime Minister Jim Bolger yesterday wondered what all the fuss was about over the "modest" $94 million new ministerial wing at Parliament.
Speaking at the topping-off ceremony of the 328m Sky Tower, Mr Bolger said that when he looked at that huge construction he wondered why ACT New Zealand leader Richard Prebble was creating so much fuss over "by comparison, a very modest building in Wellington". Mr Prebble has been campaigning against the new parliamentary building.
Mr Bolger said that he had learned the Sky site was 1.2ha and the hole dug for the foundations was 25m deep. That was more than big enough to put the entire Beehive building in, he said. "Some of the less charitable among you might suggest that is what we should have used it for."
TV3 and TV4 will broadcast from the 328 metre tower, along with Radio Pacific, More FM, and Mai FM, Sky City managing director Evan Davies said.
Sky City has already announced communications group Telstra will use the tower.
More than one million people are forecast to visit the tower annually and it is expected to have revenue of $16.3m in the year to June, 1998. The completed cost of the facility is about $75m.